Bay Bridge getting rumble strips, safety buffer zone

The state on Friday will begin a weeklong project to install new safety measures on the westbound span of the Bay Bridge to guide traffic during two-way operation and eliminate some lane changes.

Crews will install a buffer zone, rumble strips and continuous double yellow lines along the entire 4.3-mile length of the span, as recommended in a safety study last year. The result will mean motorists will not be allowed to switch between the left and center lanes at any time during a crossing.

One lane of the three-lane westbound span is reversed to alleviate eastbound congestion, usually on weekends and during evening rush hour.

The work is scheduled for overnight, weather permitting. The westbound span may be closed Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and Monday through Thursday next week, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. All traffic will shift to the eastbound span when the westbound span is closed.

State transportation officials will monitor the safety enhancements with an eye toward installing them on the eastbound span, where two-way traffic occurs during maintenance and construction on the westbound side.